Arsenal receive Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Champions League clash with Atalanta: Reports
Arsenal are reportedly confident that Bukayo Saka will be fit in time to face Manchester City on September 22, and could also make it into the squad to face Atalanta in the Champions League on September 19. This is as per reports from the Evening Standard (via Football Insider), which add that Saka's injury isn't as bad as first feared.
The Englishman suffered a cramp in the Gunners' 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on September 15.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sounded concerned about Saka's injury. He said (via Football Insider):
"I don't know. I made two changes with the front players and suddenly he's down. I don't know exactly what it is but he could not continue."
Bukayo Saka limped off in the 86th minute of the game after sitting down and signaling to Arteta and the bench that he was unable to continue. He was replaced by 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who appeared in his first North London Derby. Despite entering a high-octane game, the teenager had a decent cameo.
However, the focus now shifts back onto Saka, who could join a growing list of injured players. Skipper Martin Odegaard is sidelined after picking up an ankle injury on international duty with Norway, joining Mikel Merino (broken arm) and Riccardo Calafiori (thigh) in the treatment room.
Defensive trio of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney are also currently unavailable for selection.
Bukayo Saka creates assist record for Arsenal
Just four games into the season, Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is leading the assists charts in the Premier League alongside Chelsea's Cole Palmer. As per StatMuse, the 23-year-old is the first Gunners player in history to provide an assist in each of the first four games of a Premier League season.
Saka set up Kai Havertz for the Gunners' first goal of the season, followed by a sublime strike himself later in the same game against Wolves. He set up Thomas Partey for the team's second goal against Aston Villa, and assisted Havertz again in the 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion. The most important one came against Spurs as he set up Gabriel Magalhaes for the only goal of the game.
The Gunners' fans across the world will hope to see Saka in action on both September 19 against Atalanta and September 22 against City.